She closes her eyes. “Okay.”
Aspen sits up on her knees beside us. “It’s okay, Char. My puppy won’t bite.”
Charlotte opens one eye to look at her but then closes it again. “I’m ready.”
I transfer him to Charlotte’s hand, and she lets out a little whimper.
“He tickles, don’t he?” Aspen asks her.
Charlotte nods her head but keeps the rest of her body perfectly still.
“Open your eyes,” I whisper.
When she does, a big grin slowly pulls at her face. “I’m doing it! Daddy look, I’m doing it! I’m holding a spider!”
I can tell she’s still somewhat uncertain, but Aspen distracts her by showing her every little thing she finds on the ground while Fred chills, checking out his new friend’s bright pink shirt.
She laughs when he jumps from her hand to mine and back again. “Daddy, take a picture of me and him,” she says.
“Now that bully has nothing to hold against you,” I tell her when we transfer Fred back to his home.
Charlotte looks at me. “He’s not my bully no more.”
“He’s not?”
I look at Petey.
“After we talked to you, we realized there might be something going on at home with him. We found out his dad recently passed. He and his mom moved here to be closer to her family, but he’s been having a hard time making friends.”
“I invited him over to play, but he spent the whole day with my dad in his workshop,” Charlotte says.
Petey shrugs. “He followed me around everywhere. I think he’s just really missing his old man.”
“I’m glad you recognized he was a good kid, despite how awful he was to you,” I tell Charlotte.
“He still teases me about the spiders. I can’t wait to show him the picture when he comes over tomorrow.”
Ray places his hand on my shoulder. “Do you want to take a walk down by the lake?”
“Yeah, sure.” He helps me to my feet.
Charlotte wraps her arms around my legs. “Thank you, Jenny,” she says sweetly.
Aspen watches her, and when Charlotte walks away, she wraps her arms around my legs too. “My Nana,” she says possessively.
Willow and Jackson laugh. “You have to share her.”
Aspen’s little brows pull together, and she stomps her foot. “No. My Nana.”
I pick her up, trailing my finger over the dragonfly around her neck. “I love you.”
She hugs me, not wanting to let go.
“Do you want me to take her?” Jackson asks.
“We’re just going to sit down by the lake and visit. She can come with us,” Ray tells him.
We walk slowly, and Aspen lays her head on my shoulder. By the time we get to the dock, she’s almost asleep. I rest my cheek against her head after we sit down.
